By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Ava Fajardo made her presence felt as the Gilas Pilipinas U-18 girls basketball team cruised to a dominant 141-18 victory over Maldives in the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2024 Division B at the Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China on Monday night, June 24.
Fajardo, who traced her roots from Bacolod City, was among the nine Gilas Pilipinas players in double-digits, with 13 markers to go with six rebounds, seven assists and four steals as they jump started their campaign on a winning note.
Alicia Villanueva and Jolzyne Impreso led the lopsided victory with 18 points apiece, while Ashlyn Abong made 14 points and eight rebounds for the Philippine representatives.
Gabby Ramos and Sophia Canindo also finished with 13 markers apiece, Tifanny Reyes had 12 points, while Aubrey Lapasaran and Naomi Panganiban contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Julie Amos-mentored Gilas Pilipinas U-18 girls wasted no time imposing their dominance on Maldives as they zoomed to a 22-0 first quarter run, setting up a lopsided victory.
The Philippine squad was efficient with ball distribution, tallying a total of 32 assists, while they also showcased their defensive tenacity by compiling 35 steals while forcing their opponents to 53 turnovers.
No one from Maldives’ side reached the double-digit mark, with Mariyam Sifan leading the way for them with nine points.
After facing Lebanon last night, Gilas Pilipinas U-18 girls will tangle with Syria on Wednesday night, June 26, with hopes of finishing in the Top 2 of Group B for an automatic semifinal ticket.
Only the champion team from Division B will gain a promotion to Division A, where they will compete with Australia, Japan, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and Malaysia./ASC, WDJ
PHILIPPINES 141 — Impreso 18, Villanueva 18, Abong 14, Canindo 13, Fajardo 13, Ramos 13, Reyes 12, Lapasaran 11, Panganiban 10, Rodriguez 8, Dueñas 6, Quinte 5.
MALDIVES 18 — Sifan 9, Firash 3, Nimal 3, Shameem 2, Zakariya 1, Ishag 0, Sobah 0, Shujau 0, Shiham 0, Thahseen 0, Khuwailid 0, Simad 0.
Quarterscores: 43-11, 79-14, 109-15, 141-18.